On Thursday, December 4, Atlantic’s varsity wrestlers continue the tradition of wrestling under a spotlight for the first dual of the season. They defeated Earlham with pins. Starting this winter season off strong, the spotlight dual is when a large spotlight is strung from the gym ceiling and shines on the mat. All other lights in the gym are dimmed or shut off, and the energy coming from the audience and competitors is almost tangible.
Sophomore Keaton Schroeder, wrestling at the 126 weight class, came away with the first match win of the night. He won as a result of a tech fall after scoring 18 points to his opponent’s 1. Schroeder said, “I felt pretty confident going in, this year we should do really well, and this first dual showed a lot of potential for the team.” He previously wrestled the 106 weight class his freshman year and is adapting to the change. Schroeder said, “I felt good wrestling, the first one is always about getting the jitters out.” As he heads
Junior Dreven Smith came away with a big win, pinning his opponent after a few reversals in the first period. Smith said, “It was a pretty good match. I love the spotlight, it’s really fun and whatever not.” Smith is wrestling at the 1 weight class. His win was a dominant one as it earned the team six points over Earlham.
Another Junior Cooper Woosley wrestled a tough match in the heavyweight class as the final of the night. Woosley returned after taking his sophomore year off from wrestling. He said, “I was kinda nervous, but once I got out therall the nerves went away, and I stuck to my training.” These students have practice scheduled before and after school all week, where they work extremely hard and put in the time to be competitive athletes. Woosley said, “It’s pretty fun and difficult, but all worth it.”
The Atlantic Boys Wrestling team then traveled the next day to a weekend tournament in Independence, Iowa. Here, they will continue to improve on their skills, gain experience, and work towards their end-of-season goals. The spotlight dual marks the beginning of the season and symbolizes the light shining upon these wrestlers.
